Improvement in grain and grass harvesters



2 8h et-Sh t E. Bi FORBUSH. e S 1 Harvester.

Patented March 18, 1856..

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. B FOR BUSH.

Harvester.

No. 14,448. Patented March 18, 1856.

IINTTED STATES PATENT @rrrce. I

ELIAKIM B. FORBUSH, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRAIN AND GRASS HARVESTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 14,448, dated March 18,1856.

lowing is a full and exact description thereof,

referen cc being had to the accom panying drawin gs, and to'the figuresand letters of reference marked thereon.

Thenature of my invention consists, first, in attaching the draft-poleto the axle of the d riving-wheel in order to allow the frame of themachine to balance freely on the axle of the driving-wheel independentof the pole or the draft of the horses; second, in making ajointedconnection of the pole to the axle of the driving-wheel in such a manneras to allow the pole'to swing under the axle and extend back tarenough'to meet the rear cross-timber of the frame, so that in backingthe end of the pole will strike the frame (orthe bumper fixed there forthat purpose) and the power of theteam be applied to the frame in rearof and below the axle of the driving-wheel, and when moving forward thedraft will be directly upon the axle.

of the driving-wheel; third, in providing a guide-stirrup, which isfastenedto the front part of the frame and binds it together, andthrough which the pole plays freely up and down, and at the same timegiving the pole perfect control to guide the direction of the machineand the frame liberty to balance on the axle independent ofthe pole;fourth, in providing a hinged 'or jointed adjustable-shoe to.

hold the finger-bar so that the finger-bar and cutters maybe maintainedin a horizontal position, or placed in a slanting position at what'-ever height the cutters may be required for cutting grass or grainfifth, in the combination of two caster-wheels with the finger-bar andplatform when reaping, and one caster-wheel with the finger-bar whenmowing, as hereinafter more fully set forth; sixth, in providing agoose-neck shoe or runner for the purpose of carrying the outer end ofthe finger-bar and the outer corner of the frame, the finger-bar beingextended beyond the adjustable shoe and in rear of the driving-wheel.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention,I willproceed to describe'its construction and operation.

I make a metallic journal-box to work upon the axle of thedriving-wheel, and to which the draft-pole or tongue is attached.nal-box should be about three inches in diameter and about six inches inits cylindrical length. Its bore is about two inches in diameter, andslips onto the axle of the driving-wheel and allows the axle to turnfreely and smoothy within it; This journal-box is represented in itsplace on the axle of the driving-wheel at a b, Figure I. It has two armsdropping down about six inches, and leaving a space offour inchesbetween them to receive the draft-pole. An end view of the journal-boxand arm is given in Fig. IV, (ab,journal-box; a,arm.) The pole I? isplaced between the arm a and its opposite arm, the bolti passing throughthe arms and pole, and allowing the pole to swing on the bolt. The armsare four inches apart. The pole also extends back sufficiently far tomeet the rear cross-timberof theframe or the bumper h h, which is boltedto the cross-tim her 0 n, as represented at s, Fig. IV. The main body ofthe bumper, which comes in contact with the timber, is four byithree andone-half inches, and half an inch thick. Its two arms are four incheswide on their face, and half an inch thick. They are about six incheslong, and branch off from their main body in opposite directions, andare circular in form, as repre- I sented at h h, Fig. IV. On the end ofthe pole is a, roller two and one-half inches in diameter, and three andthree-quarters inches in length,

and is marked 1" in Fig. I and r in Fig. IV,

and is connected with the pole by means of straps. bolted to the pole,(represented at s t s t, Fig. IV.)

When it is required to back the machine the horses press backward in theharness, the pole swings upon the journal-box, the end of the pole orthe roller 1' strikes againstthe bumper, so that the whole backing-powerof the team is exerted upon the bumper, and through it upon the frame ofthe machine in rear of the driving-wheel and below the axle, and themachine thereby moved back with much greater case. -When the team movesforward, the pole swings forward, so as to bring'the draft throughthejournal-box directly from the axle. Thus when backing the point ofdraft is from the frame .in rear of the driving-wheel and below theaxle,and when moving forward it is. directly from the axle. When thedraft-pole is attached in the common way permanently to This joura Figs.I and III.

the frame, or by a hinge on the frame in front of the axle of thedriving-wheel, the power ex erted by the team in backing has a tendencyto press the driving-wheel and the finger-bar on the dri ving-wh eel andfinger-bar when backing, and the machine is' thereby moved back withmuch greater ease and facility. With this arrangement, also, theframe isleft free to balance upon the axle of the driving-wheel, and thecutter-bar and cutters at liberty to follow the surface of the groundover which the machine passes, without being affected by the tread ofthe driving-wheel, the pole, or th draft of the team.

I make a guide-stirrup of cast-iron and connect with the frame in front.It has a flange or short arm upon either side, through which it isbolted to the frame, as represented at 99, This stirrup is representedat B B, Figs. I and III. It is about four inches wide, nineteen inchesin height, and aboutfive and one-half inches in breadth across its upperand lower ends, and has a space through which the draft-pole passes offour by eighteen inches, as seen at y in Figs. I and III. This allowsthe pole to move up and down in the stirrup, while it fills the spacesidewise, so as to guide the direction ofthe machine, while it permitsthe frame to vibrate and balance on the axle, and the finger-bar andcutters to conform to the uneven surface of the ground without beingaflected by the pole or the draft of the team. This arrangement alsorelieves the horses necks from undue pressure, such as is occasioned bythe oscillations of the machine when the draft-pole is attachedpermanently to the frame. The stirrup extends above and below the frontend of the frame, so as to al' low the frame to. balance its properdistance either way.

I make an adjustable or jointed shoe for the purpose of connecting thefinger-bar and cutters to the frame and for holding the same in ahorizontal or slanting position at whatever height it may be required towork the cutters for grass or grain. The adjustable shoe as combined andput together is referred to by the letter E and represented by Fig. II.

When the finger-bar and cutters are attached to the frame in rear of thedrivingwheel, and raised and depressed by the frame in turning upon theaxle of the driving-wheel as a. center, the cutters and the platform arebrought into :a slanting position, insomuch so as to make itimpracticable to work the machine without some arrangement by which thecutters and the platform may he placed in a horizontal position at anyheight it may be desired to work the cutters. This adjustable shoe isintended to remedy this difficulty. It is made in three parts-the upperor bonnet part, (marked 0 in Fig. 11,) the shoe or inner part, (marked a0,) and the upper or compressing part, (marked 0 c c.) The upper orbonnet part is about five inches wide, and so constructed that it may bebolted to the side timber, H, of the frame with two or more bolts, so asto hold it firmly to the frame. These bolts pass through thecross-timber on the side timber, H, and the bonnet, one of which boltsis shown'at L, Fig. II. It might properly be made longer, so as toreceive another bolt through the timber E. It is made so as to form ajoint or hinge with the under or runner part, as seen at L at, Fig. II.It extends about twelve inches from this joint on an angle upward ofabout thirty-five degrees, more or less, and then drops down about eightinches, more or less, as represented at t i. The under or runner part, ce, is about five inches wide on the bottom and connects with and formsajoint or hinge with the upper part, as shown at L n, Fig. II. Themiddle or compressing part, 0 o 0, looks into the runner, as shown at V.A bolt passes through these two parts behind the finger-bar, as seen at:20. An arm, 3 2, about five inches wide, rises from this to the heightof about eight inches, to connect with the arm t r of the bonnet. Thesetwo arms are curved, making the segment of a circle such as would bedescribed at their distance from thejoint L n as a center. A slit ismade in the arm tr, and a bolt, 1) t, passes through the slit and thearm 8 z. As the runner turns in thejoint L n the runner is raised orlowered, as is also the finger-bar F, and by means of the bolt 1) t,passing through the arms .9 z and t 1', may be held as desired inreference to a slanting or horizontal position. The arm .9 2 could becast and made permanent with the runner, and the part which compressesthe finger-bar left off, in which case the finger-bar would be bolted tothe runner. WVith this arrangementofthe adjustable shoe or runner thefinger-bar,cutters, and platform maybe beveled and kept in a horizontalposition, although they are elevated and depressed through the segmentof a circle described from the axle of the driving-wheel as a center.They can also be set at any desired pitch or angle at the differentheights it may be required to work the cutters. The finger-bar passesthrough this shoe and connects with a goose-neck runner at. the outercorner of the frame, as hereinafter described. The slit in the arm tr isabout five inches long. A slit is made in the runner part for the heelof the cutter-bar and cutters to work through, as represented at g h.

I have also made animprovement in the construction of the platform andin the combination of a caster-wheel therewith. The divider T, Fig. I,is made sufficiently strong to support one end of the cross-bar e, whichcarries the caster-wheel d. On the rear corner of the platform is astandard framed into the timbers of the platform and strengthened by acasting. This standard supports the other end of the cross-bar e, and ismarked R. There are several bolt-holes through this standard, and alsothrough the divider. The cross-bar size and proportions of the otherwheel.

is bolted to this standard and to the divider, and by means of the boltsand the several bolt-holes may be raised and lowered at'pleasure. Thiscross-bar is on a line with the point of the divider. The socket inwhich the swivel of the caster-wheel works is bolted to this cross-bar,so that the cutter-bar, cutters, and platform may be raised and loweredby varying the cross-bar into the different bolt-holes in the standardand divider. The wheel is twelve inches in diameter, and made sufficiently strong to carry the platform, and the swivel and socketcorrespond thereto in strength and size. The Wheel, swivel, and socketare combined in the usual manner, and nothing new is claimed thereinexcept their combination for the purposes herein. nerdividing-board, BI), anglesinward from the cross-bar, as does also the timber and end ofthe platform upon which it stands. This affords sufficient room for thewheel to turn to the right or left as much as may be required, inharvesting grain.

The linger-bar F, Figs. I and II, passes through the adjustable shoe E,and connects with a goose-neck runner near the outer corner of theframe, as represented at G, Fig. V. This runner is made rounding on thebottom, so that it will form a runner, whether the machine isprogressing forward or turning at the corners. 1t is bolted to the endof the fingerbar, and connects with the outside timber of the frame H h.A slit is made inthe neck of this runner through which a bolt passes tofasten it to the frame. This slit is represented at 4, Fig. V, and inshape corresponds to the segment ot'a circle such as the goose-neckdescribes when bolted to the finger-bar and moved by the adjustable shoeturning in its joint L n, Fig. II. It slides on the ground when mowing,and supports the end of the finger-bar and the corner of the frame. Inreaping it will of course be elevated above the ground. When reaping thecaster-wheel d d carries this part of the platform and frame. The wheel,swivel, and socket are the same in The wheel is attached to the end ofthe lever y n at a sufficient distance from the finger-bar to allow itto turn round without coming in contact with the finger bar. The leverynis connected to asmall casting on the frame by means of a bolt, and alsoto a standard rising from the finger-bar, (represented at hg, Fig. I.)The standard h g is bolted to the fingerbar, and rises about eighteeninches, so that it may be bolted to the lever y a at whatever height thefinger-bar may be placed. Several bolt-holes should be made through thisstandard, so as to receive the bolt from the lever at whatever heightthe finger-bar maybe placed.

The in-- With this arrangement the platform, fingerbar, and cutters canbe carried at any desired height, as they are sustained and carriedentirely by the arrangement of the two casterwheels when reaping. Thesewheels should run as nearly on a line as may. be. When mowing theplatform and both wheels may be removed, so as to allow the finger-barto slide on the ground; A pin, 1?, holds the swivel in its socket. Thispin can be removed from the wheel 61 d and the Wheel taken out, leavingthe lever 3 n in its place when mowing.

The'gearing and driving shafts are supported upon the frame on theoutside of the driving-wheel, in order more equally to balance the frameupon the axle of the driving-wheel. The driving-shaft is represented atG H, Fig. V, and the large bevel-wheel at H a, Fig. I.

Fig. V is a plan view of the frame. The

front timber, z a, is represented as running across the frame; but whenthe guide stirrup B B, Fig. I, is put in this timber stops short, and isbolted to the flange or short arm ofthe stirrup, as shown at g, Fig. I.The timbers H h and H y and 0 n may be three by three and one-haltinchesin size, thefront timber, z a, three by five, and the side timber, H,three by live at the end where the adjustable shoe is bolted and taperto three inches. The proportions herein given may be varied as cir cumstances require without affecting the prinelple of the improvementsherein described.

The dividing-board B b, Fig. 1, being set upon an angle inward, and thebar a being on a line with the point of the divider, several inches ofspace exist between them, affording room for the caster-wheel to turn asmuch as required. This barealso affords a support for a reel-post insuch a position as to bring. the reel-post out of the way, so that theout grain will not lodge against it.

I claim as my inveution- 1. The adjustable shoe E for the purpose ofleveling the platform, constructed and arranged substantially as hereindescribed.

2. suspending the pole to which the team is attached from a hingedjournal upon the axle of the driving-wheel, in order that the draft ofthe team when moving forward may be directly from the axle of thedriving-wheel, leaving the frame tinger-bar, and cutters free tooscillate, and independent of the pole and the draft or the team, andalso when backing the power of theteam may be exerted upon the frame inrear of and below the axle of the driving wheel, substantially as hereindescribed.

ELIAKIM B. FORBUSH. Witnesses:

G. O. BRISTOL, WM. H. ANDREWS.

